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Stark County man learns fate for hiding income, ties to storefront gambling operations

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Stark County man learns fate for hiding income, ties to storefront gambling operations

A 49-year-old Stark County man will spend 7.5 years in prison for tax evasion, money laundering and gambling crimes arising out of his ownership and operation of illegal gambling businesses and related misconduct. 

As part of the plea agreement, federal prosecutors previously dropped 33 other counts for other charges against Steven Saris.

According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2009 through 2022, Saris owned and operated multiple illegal gambling businesses in Northeast Ohio — including Café 62, Lucky’s, Winner’s World, Spin City and another business in Springfield, Ohio — as well as in Florida.

He hid his involvement in, and income from, these businesses by having others serve as straw owners, and by destroying and directing others to destroy business records, according to a news release issued Thursday by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Cleveland. 

For tax year 2015, Saris filed a false tax return that did not report more than $1.4 million in income he received from his illegal gambling businesses. For tax years 2016 through 2021, he did not file tax returns or pay all the tax that he owed despite earning more than $9 million from his gambling businesses.

During that time, Saris made only two nominal payments to the IRS in 2018 when he filed an application for an extension of time to file his 2017 return. He used proceeds from the businesses to gamble millions at legal casinos and to acquire and renovate at least two residential properties in Canton.

Steven Saris: Stark County man pleads guilty in federal gambling case

Saris, who as of 2022 lived in Lake Township, cheated the federal government out of more than $2.8 million in taxes, according to federal investigators.

In July 2018, law enforcement searched multiple illegal gambling businesses and associated locations in Northeast Ohio. Following those search warrants, Saris made false statements to law enforcement.

At the same time, Saris continued operating the illegal gambling businesses and did not disclose that to law enforcement. In August 2022, law enforcement searched Saris’ home. Upon learning of a search warrant for his cellphone, Saris told law enforcement that he did not know its location. Law enforcement found the phone in the water tank of a toilet in his residence.

In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent in Cleveland ordered Saris to serve three years of supervised release and pay more than $2.8 million in restitution to the United States.

Related: Operators of long-closed Stark County gambling halls get lengthy prison terms

The case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation; the Stark County Prosecutor’s Office; the U.S. Department of Treasury Office of Inspector General; Homeland Security Investigations; the Ohio Casino Control Commission and the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission, Major Crimes Task Force.

Defense attorney Michael T. Callahan of Akron represented Saris. He message seeking comment on his client’s case was left Thursday afternoon.

Reach Nancy at 330-580-8382 or nancy.molnar@cantonrep.com. On X, formerly known as Twitter: @nmolnarTR.

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